NHL Profiles: Florida / Los Angeles / Minnesota

Christian Berglund (Fla) - an energy type player who hasn't developed his game much in North America and never quite got going in his return to Swedish hockey .. overall, a rather underwhelming year in Farjestad .. relies solely on his good skating and strong work ethic .. speedy with quick first strides, though doesn't have elite top speed either .. wants to play physical and finishes his checks in a good way .. rather subpar scoring touch, should be able to put up better numbers considering the amount of scoring chances he has .. simply lacks poise in front of the net and possesses average shooting ability .. almost a bit undersized, but has good strength, fearlessness and wants to win .. but the elite talent just isn't there .. will play in Switzerland this season.

Kristian Huselius (Fla) - a true magician offensively, sustained an incredible point-per-game average and had the league scoring title in hand prior to being suspended for his involvement in the hotel-sex scandal .. undoubtedly the most creative and entertaining player in the league .. an underrated skater - quick, agile and boasting good top speed .. simply incredible with the puck, world-class stickhandler who can make amazing dekes .. his vision and passing game are both elite .. sees passing lanes that few players notice and has very soft hands .. could run a powerplay in his sleep .. also boasts a quick and accurate wristshot .. extremely poised when in scoring areas, likes to force the goaltender into making the first move .. not all that aggressive though, handles the corners fairly well and can cover the puck with his excellent reach .. benefits from the larger ice surfaces and may never be the same dominant force in North America.

Olli Jokinen (Fla) - appeared in three countries (Switzerland, Sweden and Finland) during the lockout season, and proved himself a top performer in each league .. without question the best player in Finland during his stint at home though he failed in the playoffs after sustaining a wrist injury, which subsequently also hampered his performance at the World Championships .. a big, strong-skating straightahead forward .. a no-nonsense center .. plays a rather simple game and is at his best when he is the leading player on his line .. has developed major-league shooting skills during his NHL years, and has matured into a leader both on and off the ice.

Branislav Mezei (Fla) - signed with Trinec prior to the season instead of returning home to Slovakia .. filled the role of an unspectacular defensive defenseman .. the larger ice surface revealed problems in his mobility and lateral movement .. skated on the second or third defensive pairings .. lacked offensive output and focused on playing a conservative style .. didn't get much powerplay time either .. did however add a physical dimension to Trinec's blueline but in general failed to stand out .. despite his shortcomings on the bigger ice but on the smaller NHL rinks he should still be able to stick with the Panthers as a bottom-line defenseman .. expect a rather average showing from the gigantic blueliner with limited offensive upside.

Vaclav Nedorost (Fla) - signed with the Liberec senior team despite the interest of his parent Ceske Budejovice team .. thrived in a two-way role and showed strong chemistry alongside fellow young NHLer Ales Kotalik .. returns help his defense quickly while distributing quality passes to his wingers .. his role steadily progressed as the season wore on .. however, he couldn't find a way to be effective in the playoffs, due in part to a six-game injury absence .. participated at the Rosno Cup in December and in one exhibition game for the senior national team .. out until Christmas with nagging knee problems (lack of cartilage) .. signed a contract with Budejovice in the offseason and won't return to the NHL unless he receives an attractive offer .. should be a mainstay if he can stay healthy.

Rostislav Olesz (Fla) - on a two-year loan to Sparta Praha from Vitkovice and would have seen playing time on the top lines if not for the arrival of locked-out NHLers .. continued his progress on the third line, filling his all-round role well and doing the little things to help the team succeed .. coveted for his coachable nature .. steadily progressing in his maturity and defensive awareness .. posted career numbers in the Extraleague despite relatively modest icetime .. a solid player in the playoff contests .. took part in the 2005 U-20 WJC where he won bronze .. broke full-time into the Czech senior national team, appearing in nine games .. takes advantage of his strong desire to succeed and is a lock to play in the NHL sooner rather than later .. was eager to leave Sparta and signed a rookie contract in August .. the Panthers will love his determination .. will serve as a dependable two-way forward and likely rely more on his defensive awareness to begin .. marked his NHL departure by donating a panther to the zoo in his hometown Ostrava.

Jozef Stumpel (Fla) - accepted an offer from the Czech club Slavia Praha and showed strong chemistry alongside friend and fellow countryman Zigmund Palffy .. emerged as the iron man on offense, participating through the regular season .. displayed very good passing skills and was a strong asset to the powerplay .. Slavia's top playmaking forward .. helped Palffy lead Slavia in the playoffs, but also exhibited an increased willingness to finish chances on his own .. didn't throw thunderous checks, yet still played with decent aggressiveness .. a regular member of the Slovak senior national team .. filled a playmaking role well at the World Championships, ranking second in assists among all tournament participants .. declared his eagerness to be reunited with either Pavol Demitra or Zigmund Palffy, however settled with the Panthers in the end .. a smart playmaking forward with a wealth of NHL experience .. age will chase him soon enough, but don't dismiss him just yet.

Alexander Frolov (LA) - joined CSKA Moscow during the summer of 2004 and was one of the club's few bright spots last season, at times even leading the league in goals despite little offensive support from teammates .. however he couldn't avoid nagging injuries .. missed part of December, including the Rossno Cup, and was sidelined again in early February only to return towards the end of March .. when it became clear that CSKA was not going to make the playoffs, he was loaned out to league frontrunners Dynamo Moscow .. skated in the last six regular-season games with his new club and was one of the key leaders during the playoff run, helping Dynamo capture the much coveted gold medals .. signed a rich deal this past summer with Avangard Omsk reportedly in the $3-4 million range before being lured back to the NHL when the Kings countered with an even better long-term deal .. should continue to develop into a prime two-way NHLer though beware his rugged style will make him more susceptible to injury.

Jens Karlsson (LA) - the one Frolunda player punished the hardest by the lockout as he struggled to find icetime even on the fourth line .. sent down to the second league for awhile and won the championship while riding the pressbox (wasn't even dressed for most of the postseason) .. all in all, a wasted season for Karlsson who wasn't even extended a new contract with Frolunda .. among the most physical wingers in the SEL, always finishes his checks and plays an in-your-face style .. his skating seems to deteriorate each season however .. while he still has good top speed, his acceleration can be painfully slow at times .. boasts a very quick wristshot, though also questionable accuracy .. not a very good puckhandler either and his passing game is merely average .. true team player who always works hard .. needs more icetime to develop his skills further .. if he ends up in the right environment, his development could take a sharp turn upwards this season.

Tuukka Mantyla (LA) - never quite found living in Sweden to his liking and opted to return home to Finland and Tappara, following a fairly successful campaign with Lulea last season .. finished 12th in the league among defenseman in scoring .. simply an incredible skater with perhaps the best lateral movement in the league .. generally very quick with his first strides .. possesses an excellent wristshot and an above-average slapper .. creative passer and very efficient on the powerplay .. tends to be too flashy at times which can hurt his defensive game .. gets complacent in his own end occasionally and makes risky decisions .. a surprisingly physical player despite his size .. will no doubt produce a fine European career no matter which league he plays, however is more than likely too small for the NHL in spite of a very good set of offensive skills.

Lauri Tukonen (LA) - another sub-par season from the highly-touted Tukonen, who was once considered a top-five talent within his age group and has since fallen back to earth .. wasn't able to crack a scoring line with Espoo Blues and only managed to collect a measly ten points during the regular season .. did not live up to expectations for Finland's U-20 squad at the World Juniors either .. a fast winger with good size, hands and shooting potential .. however he only seems to put them all together for brief flashes .. must keep working on his finishing skills all the time if he hopes to avoid being groomed as more of two-way player which happened to countryman Jani Rita .. definitely not a hopeless case yet as he is certainly blessed with all the tools to be a scoring-line player at the NHL level .. needs a full year in the AHL to mature and develop his confidence and consistency.

Miroslav Kopriva (Min) - split last season between Div I club Beroun and occasional callups to the parent Kladno team to compete in the Extraleague .. stood between the pipes for ten Extraleague games, impressing with his poise but also struggling occasionally with his consistency .. a better force at the lower senior level, where he established himself as one of the most impressive goaltenders in the league .. however his icetime was slashed when Sparta Praha loaned high-flying netminder Tomas Popperle to Beroun for a stint in March .. a second visit from Popperle to Beroun during the playoffs downgraded Kopriva to a backup spot again .. participated in just one postseason game, but looked very solid .. still a prospect to keep a close eye on.

Andrei Nazarov (Min) - Made a name for himself over the lockout with Avangard Omsk .. clearly established himself as the top enforcer in Russia, though quite likely one of the RSL's dirtiest players as well .. picked fights almost every game and caused the infamous bench clearing brawl during a late-season game against Lada, where even Lada's backup goalie got into the action .. suspended for the 2005-06 season by the RSL for allegedly threatening officials with bodily harm following Avangard's elimination loss to Dynamo, which stemmed from a questionable goal .. good thing for him the NHL wants him back.

Dwayne Roloson (Min) - won over Rauma fans with some great performances and also gained the admiration of teammates thanks to his tremendous attitude .. did however experience one problem as there was some miscommunication with club officials during the Christmas break regarding Roloson's trips to Canada .. carried the team during the regular season and especially in the playoffs, where Lukko was able to win the first round .. a puckstopper with great first-stop capabilities, does anything to stop the initial shot .. let in some easy-looking goals at times however, though always rebounded back right away .. also showed to be a terrific puckhandler and was one of the goalies who regularly played the puck outside their crease .. doesn't just mind his own business either as he actively communicates with opponents and refs.